let's go on a JOURNEY! (POKEMON ORAS)

13. BLOSSOM

Victory Road was treacherous and terrifying. If deep, dark, and claustrophobic caves didn't scare you off, then you still had to deal with scaling the tallest of mountains and cliffs. And if heights didn't terrify you, then the menacing and ruthless trainers sure would.

May went through grueling battle after battle. This was where the best of the best gathered. Everyone came here to train for the Elite Four challenge. And if you happened to fail, you weren't deemed fit to go on. Victory Road could be the terrible end to your journey... Or, it could be the magnificent beginning.

She scraped her knees. She bumped her head on shallow cavern walls. She almost fell down the side of a mountain... Twice. She had to constantly heal and then re-heal her pokémon because of the strenuous battles they had to go through. But she wasn't going to give up. They hadn't even started.

After a few stressful hours in the dark, she emerged from a cave and out into the sunlight. She took a deep breath, feeling relieved that she made it through. Spending so much time crawling around on the ground warranted for a break. She sat down on the grass and looked up at the sky. The sun was shining so bright today. It was a shame she spent most of her time inside of the mountain.

She glanced around, and she wondered just how close she was to the end. A lot of water flowed around the area. And in some places, waterfalls were spilling off from the cliffs. This area was so beautiful, calm, and serene.

She focused on the area right ahead of her and was shocked at what she saw. Flowers. There was a sea of flowers: brilliant, bright red blossoms that glowed like embers. A light breeze caused them to sway back and forth, from side to side. May stared in awe, enamored by the sight. She had to be close to the end. She just had to be.

"May? Is that you?"

May craned her neck around to see who had called for her. Her heart stopped at the sight of the green-haired boy. It had been several months since she last saw him. When he was once meek and timid, he was now confident and happy. He stood tall, with the pokémon that she had captured for him fully evolved and standing right behind him.

"Wally, is that really you?" May cried out, jumping up to her feet. "You... You look so different!"

He blushed. "Th-Thank you," he said. "You seem surprised to see me... I have to owe my success to you. If you hadn't caught Gallade for me, then I wouldn't have gotten anywhere."

May smiled at his statement. His pokémon bowed slightly at her, showing his gratitude.

"May, if it's not too much to ask... Can we have a battle? Right here?" Wally asked, a sheepish smile on his face.

"Hey, I'd love to," May replied. "C'mon! Show me what you're made of!"